Playboy Mansion
New reports suggest Jeff Beacher, owner of Beacher's Madhouse, may be interested in buying the Playboy Mansion and turning it into a nightlife hotspot. Above, the Los Angeles property during Playboy's 2015 Playmate of the Year ceremony on May 14. Getty Images

Big changes could be coming to the Playboy Mansion. In early January, rumors began circulating that the famed Los Angeles property may be listed for sale within the next six months, with multiple outlets reporting that it was going to hit the market for close to $200 million. Weeks later it has been reported that Hugh Hefner, the mansion's longtime owner and current tenant, may have a potential lead on a seller.

According to TMZ, Jeff Beacher, the owner of celebrity nightlife hotspot Beacher's Madhouse, might be interested in buying the Playboy Mansion. He is said to be considering putting in a $90 million offer for the palatial site — $12 million of his own money and the rest from wealthy investors. As for what he plans to do with the sprawling 29-room house, which sits on a 6-acre lot, TMZ says he would like to turn it into another nightclub venue. The publication suggests that Beacher met with Playboy Enterprises in the hopes of working out a deal that would allow him to attach the Playboy brand to the potential new hotspot. Higher-ups in the organization are said to be giving some serious thought to Beacher's offer despite disagreeing on the price, which is $181 million less than the reported $200 million asking price.

Beacher isn't the only Hollywood heavyweight believed to have an interest in purchasing the Playboy Mansion. As reported by the New York Daily News on Jan. 22, Larry Flynt, who founded Hustler magazine in 1974, was thought to be eyeing his rival Hefner's home after rumors of a sale surfaced. Flynt's team was said to be preparing to make an offer on the mansion, but wanted Hefner, who plans to continue living there even after the sale, out. Hefner is turning 90 in April. When asked about these claims, however, Flynt denied having any interest.

It was first reported that the Playboy Mansion was to be put up for sale on Jan. 10. An early story from USA Today alleged that the enormous home would be listed for upwards of $200 million sometime between January and July. Although the mansion features 29 rooms, including a wine cellar and screening room, the publication's "real estate sources" were not all convinced the property was worth its price tag. In fact, it was said that the home was a complete "tear-down," and that the lot is the major selling point.

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